dynamic attributes quite difficult. Youtend
toexperienceand remember it likea tornado
ofenergy and noise.However, thereare – of
course – individualqualities and ingenuities
thatcontributetothe head-spinning whole.
For example, the gearbox is staggeringly
fastbut usesbrilliant programmingtomake
you feel hardwired to its actions: long-
throwpaddles respond toinputsinthe first
millimetre, maybe less, oftheir action, sothe
gearhitshomejustasthe paddlereaches its
stop. Perfect synchronisationthatcreates a
mixture of mechanical connectionand magical
speed.Yourbrainperceives zerolag between
request and result.
The sameistrueofthe engine’s throttle
response,and despite the shatteringspecific
output, the sheer swept volumeofthe V1 2
creates massesoftorque. There’s notquite the
gut-punch ofthe DBS,it’s true, but the much
shorter gearing and the speed withwhich the
812 revs rendersany complaintscompletely
absurd. It feels stupendously overendowed in
any gearand at any speed. There’s noescaping
the conclusionthatthisengineand gearbox
combinationnotonlyshadesthe Aston’s, but
thatit’s amongst the greatest we’ve everseen
in a roadcar.
It’s notallover, though. Wherethe Aston’s
chassis is intuitive and easy-going evenwhen
you’repushing hard, the Ferrari’s isinitially
extremely jumpy, and after prolonged exposure
the 812 remains a slightlytricky car todrive
smoothlyandina fully relaxedstate.The
culprit is the fast steeringratio of11.5:1, the
lightnessofthe rack, and the agility afforded
bythe combination ofanengine that sits
well backinthe chassis, gummy 275-section
fronttyres and rear-wheelsteering. It seems
perverseto criticise a car for feeling too
agile,but for somereasoncalibrating toa
big front-enginedsupercarwith789bhpthat
requires the miniscule inputs ofa Caterhamis
almost impossible.
Of course, Ferrari’s brilliant electronics
provide a welcome helping hand.This is
another areawherethe Superfast putsclear
airbetween itselfand the Superleggera. In
previous, normally aspirated Astons, the ESP
Track modehas beenwonderfully permissive
and subtle, but perhaps because ofthe vast
torqueofthe DBS,the setting isnowmuch
morepessimistic and severeinoperation. In
contrast, the Superfast letsyou workwithin
a space thatfeels lesstightly definedinRace
modeand isriotouslyforgiving shouldyou
select CTOff. Forgetany notionofundersteer
at roadspeeds. You turnand the 812 is already
at the apex. It’s the tail you’ll bemanagingand
hereFerrari’s heinously complex marriage of
Ferrari 812 Superfast
EngineV12, 6496ccPower789bhp @ 8500rpmTorque529lb ft@ 7000rpmWeight1630kgPower-to-weight492bhp/ton0-62mph2.9secTop speed211mphBasic price£262,963evorating
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